Seed of the Uchiha
by JeffC FTW
Summary: Sasuke is captured while on a mission with his pregnant wife in Otogakure. Contains dark elements.
1. Chapter 1

**Oh, God, a word of warning: you will be DISTURBED. I'd been planning to do this for a while but never had inspiration yet or even time - but here it is now, and in time for Sarada's birthday (disturbing as it is, but it's for reasons in terms of the events).**

 **Since it's midnight now, her birthday is over, but think of it as a late one. :)**

 **What happens is that this short fic takes place in post-war canon. Sasuke is currently traveling and seeking redemption when he pays Orochimaru a visit in regarding to a surprise experiment his former sensei is doing in this time of peace, but it's NOT what Sasuke thinks. After that, Sasuke is abducted for nefarious reasons - and it may as well bring back a certain someone but also risk others he loves.**

 **I have not read any of the manga - even though my boyfriend does - seen enough of the anime up to episode 374 (English dub), but I did do enough research to bring this to life and add my own ideas as well, so please don't be too hard on me. I'm happy with how this came out.**

 **However, I will add there is gross content that I am hesitant to say, but now is your chance to leave if you are THAT sensitive. But for those of you brave enough, then enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: nothing of Naruto belongs to me.**

Chapter One

It had been a few years since the war had ended.

The Hidden Leaf Village had a new Hokage - _Naruto._

Sasuke was pardoned - after serving time - and released to atone around the world, to see separate individuals rather than as a whole. Which was what he'd done for the last two years, and he confessed he enjoyed his freedom from the village - but only granted time and permission. He was the Hokage's right hand, but to him, it still felt like close scrutiny like his clan's history.

What was more: his wife, Sakura, whom he married for the sake of restoring his clan and was currently pregnant with their first child, was tagging along with him as she refused to let him go alone. He liked to think it was because she didn't like to be behind during her pregnancy, which was something they'd argued over. It would not only put her at risk, but their BABY.

 _The next Uchiha..._

 _One who will carry on the Sharingan._

He only wished Itachi were here to see his niece or nephew born, which would be a matter of days or weeks now. Either way, Sakura was nearing the end.

It had been difficult to carry her on his back when she could be unable to walk, his single arm adding to the mix, for due to the dominating infant she was carrying, she felt like she weighed a bit over her average, like a boulder in his embrace. He had to resort to Susano'o as his additional arm to keep her suspended for the ride, which she had to squeal with excitement over and causing him to roll his eyes at times, when it only amused him. He liked to blame it on the hormones.

But now Sasuke put her down when they reached their destination just as the sun hit its highest point in the middle of the day.

 _Otogakure._

 _Orochimaru._

Sakura groaned and popped her bones. "That feels better," she said, before she followed his gaze ahead. She sighed sharply. "The sun feels so nice I want to fall asleep now." Her eyes drooped as the proof.

Sasuke sniffed. "You can do that when we reach him," he told her as they began walking, given the clearing led to the site of the cave constructed into the great tree ahead. Beyond was a lush forest and the distant sound of a waterfall. But the tranquil atmosphere did nothing to ease the tension the sole surviving Uchiha heir knew lingered between him and his wife.

The messenger snake that arrived in his home had stated that what his former sensei wished to speak to him about held great interest for him - simply because Sasuke was going to be a father himself, and who else to talk to other than his former protégé? This alone made Sasuke raise an eyebrow.

 _What does fatherhood have to do with - wait a minute._

When he spoke to Sakura about this, to keep it brief, she was far from enthused. Just because he helped save Tsunade and the Leaf Village did not mean he would ever be welcomed. Sakura tolerated Orochimaru to a small extent. That was why she still did not trust him enough to let her husband go alone, insisting he take her along - and in the final month of her pregnancy nonetheless! _Not only does she hate being back home while I am away, she refuses to let me be alone with the old man. She's still annoying like that._

 _But I love her still, and she forgives me easily._ He felt the smile slip. _TOO easily._

But she suffered that love just for him, just as he suffered his love and hate for his brother. She suffered his betrayal as he had Itachi's - but _aniki's_ were on orders while his had been his making. _And I've paid the price, but more to come. It will never be enough to end what I am doing for her and the entire world._ He found himself looking down at the stump beneath his cloak, where his left arm once was. She'd offered to heal it for him after the fight with Naruto and the war ending, but it would never work. He deserved it, and besides, he could use his remaining arm well.

Walking beside her, without a word except an occasional glance, Sasuke turned his attention to the firm roundness in the middle of her body she cradled, sometimes running a hand or both over it. The ring he gave her on their wedding day glittered subtly; the blue stone was placed in a magical swirling band of silver around her finger. Because he'd lost his arm, he'd been given a plain chain - because, between them and Naruto, it reminded him of his brother, whom he felt had been watching over them when their vows were made in front of those watching them. Those who welcomed him back, and those who had not; nothing mattered to him, except _her_.

The one who held him as he fired with pain through the effects of the Curse Mark given to him by the man who took advantage of the darkness inside him.

The one who screamed her undying devotion when he left in a night.

The one who was willing to kill him because he wanted to destroy the village she loved - the one who wrecked his beloved elder brother's life.

The one who sent a creature off its feet, earning the right to _kunoichi._

The one who he cried to for forgiveness when he lay bleeding out the stump where his arm had been.

She took him back, after he left the village to travel the world, see more within than as a whole. _There is more to life than a Shinobi, which was what Itachi traded to protect..._

Ahead of them now lay the place in the open for the sun to shine down upon, away from the dreary shade where HE was waiting, for Sasuke. Right now, the Uchiha intended to visit this great tented place which one scarcely imagined a certain spectacled man was taking care of young ones.

 _Kabuto runs the orphanage he was raised. He is making up for everything he's done._

Not surprisingly, Karin was with him. She brightened when she saw the couple approach, and Kabuto himself joined, excusing himself after wrapping up a child's sprained ankle. Both smiled genuinely and led them both in. Karin wasn't up to medical potential like his wife, but she was Kabuto's assistant and a guidance counselor to the little ones who took to calling her "Mother".

"She reminds me of Mother Nono," Kabuto clarified, taking Sasuke back to the time he and Itachi fought against him, and his story to understand came to light. Seeing the children and their eyes filled with hope made Sasuke think about the one he and his wife were expecting very soon.

~o~

"You've been doing well for yourself," Sakura Uchiha noted of the redheaded woman with the glasses - the one Sasuke wanted her to kill to prove she would be loyal to him, and because he saw the woman no longer useful. _That cold chakra of his is no more._

Karin Uzumaki gave her a shy smile, a blush creeping to her cheeks. "And the same goes for you." She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose out of habit. "These kids really are something for me. I didn't think I'd like them as much as I thought. Lord Orochimaru was wise to suggest this was productive for me, since where else could I go?"

Sakura frowned at her, sitting down at one of the unoccupied tables, watching as she administered a shot to a young girl of eight with blonde hair reaching her ears. It was strange to know that the man she hated and distrusted with a passion would even give his subordinates a _choice_ to make. "That's odd, hearing that from you. I never thought the snake was capable of giving his low ones an option," she said, rubbing her swollen stomach. Any day now, she was due. She shouldn't have gone with her husband, as he'd heatedly told her, but she deserved to be there when he spoke with Orochimaru about whatever it was he wanted Sasuke for.

 _I may be pregnant, but I refuse to be weak._

"Just as you had an option to come all the way out here in your condition?" Karin asked, scrutinizing her as she watched her actions. The pinkette returned the look.

"I'm fine, okay? Sasuke didn't want me out here, but I still don't trust that snake." Her husband was fiercely protective of both her and the baby, which she loved him for, but he had no right to treat her like the girl she used to be: the one who couldn't fight to defend herself and instead relied on her boys. Did he forget she kicked ass before his eyes on the battlefield and outshone her _shishou_ \- or was he just secretly enjoying annoying her?

"Even though he _helped_?"

"How can you forgive or forget the fact he's done abominable things? Killed his own sensei and nearly destroyed our village?" Sakura kept her voice down so not to raise attention. She shouldn't be arguing, but could she help it?

Karin sighed and slumped her shoulders. "Fair enough. But I swear he and Kabuto haven't done any trouble. Orochimaru-sama has been doing some new research that doesn't involve human experiments. Actually, it's a small form, but it's nothing like you think."

Sakura was about to speak when a shadow fell on them both. It was none other than Kabuto himself, looking down at them with a smile, but the Uchiha wife was wary - until she'd seen the way he treated the children under his care. Had things been different in the past, she would have enjoyed working with him as a fellow Medical Ninja because he was so exceptional.

If there WAS one thing she sympathized with him, and even though it did not make him being Orochimaru's pet right - as well as the abominable Reanimation Jutsu he'd used to cause so much pain to her and the others - it was the fact that he never knew who or what he was, but because of Itachi in the manner her husband told her... _look at the tired smile and the tender look in his eyes...he doesn't look or seem like the man I remember._

 _He has found a purpose._

He had to really earn her trust, but this was a start.

~o~

 _"...it seems you're going to be a 'father' - but not the same way as me."_

 _"You are correct, Sasuke-kun. I confess I was curious to test it out and see if it could be beneficial."_

 _"This isn't something like your usual experiments. It goes much deeper than just test tubes and embryo extractions, Orochimaru. Just what do you wish to accomplish by bringing to life a synthetic being in a_ jar?"

 _"Oh, tsk, tsk, Sasuke. Is curiosity too much? You're going to be a father very soon, to which I congratulate you on...and yet I felt something was missing in my long years of life. Kabuto and Karin, and the children - seeing those around me elope and bring nurslings of their own...if you were in my position, you would ask yourself the question. But I cannot take the time to find a woman the way you have; who would fall for the likes of me, hm? And what better way than the manner I know best?"_

He supposed that did make sense. He wasn't unnerved, but it still made him twitch in the stomach because parentage and childhood weren't something you made by hand from nature. _But if Orochimaru finds himself growing attached, then I'll have a laugh about it, be it in his face or behind his back._

He had sensed that he had been followed - no, _trailed_ \- and had jumped to attack. He had no time to activate the Rinnegan and his Sharingan before darkness claimed him without a fair fight. No weapons, no power from a god - but he did sense them - only when he inhaled the air, too late did he realize the air had been released with knock-out fumes. With that, he retaliated by making the hand signs and bringing to life the onyx form of -

 _Damn it, my Chidori was no match,_ was his last thought before he was taken by unconsciousness, shocked by his own jutsu through the arm, cursing himself for his lack of care - and cursing them for being so good, whoever they were.

Sasuke expected to wake up in some form of pain, but he felt like he had awoken from a spa treatment. Too much relaxation could lead to a death wish. Shaking his head in order to clear the fuzziness, he blinked and assessed his surroundings - and found himself in a typical cave. Was anyone going to be original nowadays? Hissing, Sasuke discovered that his remaining arm had been chained at the wrist, and so were his ankles.

"Damn it!"

 _Sakura is still out there. She will notice something amiss when she finds I didn't return._ He angrily tugged on his bonds and rolled onto the opposite side...

...and found himself staring at the face of _Itachi._

His scream that tore from his throat didn't seem like his own at all.

 **The worst is to come, so stay tuned for the next chapter. :S**

 **On the upside, happy b-day to none other than Sarada Uchiha - Kushina Uzumaki incarnate, as my boyfriend says. :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Gods, life is hectic for me in terms of fics because I finally completed one and now onward to this one and a couple others. It's also been HARD to figure out who kidnapped Sasuke and WHY he wakes up to Itachi next to him - and his dear brother is dead. This is where things take the dark turn I mentioned before. Like I said, not for the squeamish, but those brave to carry on, you've been warned once again.**

 **Thanks to the guest who first reviewed. :) I proudly wait for more.**

Chapter Two

Sometimes Sakura hated being pregnant. Today had been smooth until she and her husband arrived here in Sound. After the talk with Karin and Kabuto, the symptoms made their presence known. Her back hurt, her breasts were swollen, and her bladder was being pushed by this equally pushy little one which might come soon, based on a guess.

Sasuke had not been happy when she pushed him far to bring her with him. She could have given birth on the way, but maybe while they were here, it would happen. There was no public hospital here in Otogakure, but Kabuto might help her - as long as he kept his damned hands to himself lest he risked the wrath of one Sasuke Uchiha. The mother was a med-nin and knew what would happen, but she would never perform the surgery or basics herself in midst of labor. She needed help.

The facilities were well-equipped with all the necessities. After relieving herself and then getting some painkillers and rub for her back thanks to Karin's help, she found herself sitting with Kabuto as he gave her an examination, running the stethoscope over the middle of her swollen abdomen.

They were surprised with a kick, making her laugh at the feeling that her and Sasuke's first baby was impatient and tired of being trapped in there.

"Do you already know what you are expecting?" the spectacled young man asked tenderly, putting his hand over the spot where the tiny, unseen foot beat.

Back home, she and her husband agreed it would be a surprise instead of finding out ahead of time. Part of the reason was because it didn't matter, given the old Uchiha clan existed no longer, and he wanted a new one where their child wasn't forced to marry for a political alliance - even though Sasuke had been too young at the time. She'd gotten pregnant after the second time they made love, finding out after he left again and smiling without a word when she broke the news to him upon his return that they were going to have a child. He was going to be a father, and she was going to be a mother.

Naruto had found the time to throw them a baby shower, and the entire village celebrated - even those who still did not forgive Sasuke, but he put on his smile anyway...though Sakura could still see the lingering spite. He hadn't been home for long and was yet to completely settle back in. Sometimes she found herself giving those onlookers the glare of the century and protecting her man with his hand in hers.

The Seventh Hokage and her best friend hadn't been happy, either, that she wanted to go with her husband, but stubborn as she knew she was, she persisted in the end. Here she was now.

Kabuto had to click his tongue when she told him her story. "Karin was right, you know."

"Like I need to be reminded." Sakura snorted, standing and wincing at the slight strain in her bones. She was tired, which he noticed and offered her to lay down for a while, then be back to check on her if she needed anything.

She didn't even ask him what Orochimaru was up to if not human experimentation. She was so tired from the travel and this babe not giving her any rest that she passed out immediately.

~o~

 _"Sakura, are you coming?"_

 _She fidgeted when she took one more look at herself in the semi-sheer lace kimono from her mother. She was both nervous and excited because this was their wedding night; who knew if he was just as anxious, because he didn't show it. The fabric ended at the elbows and had the slit in the front to reveal her leg with each movement._

I hope he notices. I don't know what to do if he doesn't...

 _Sakura hurried out through the rice-paneled door before he got agitated and called for her again. When she stood before the bed, he was already in. His bare, sculpted chest shone with each line and raise in the reflection of the only lamp lit in the room. His head leaned back, though his onyx eyes watched her intently, beckoning her to join so they could get to it. By "it", she meant the consummation of their marriage and their relationship._

 _Swallowing, Sakura slipped off the kimono to show her naked body to her new husband who was probably in the same state beneath the covers. Without waiting for his reply, she hurriedly slipped underneath and drew the quilt and sheet to her chest, making him arch an eyebrow._

 _"You don't know what to do first?" Sasuke asked finally after several seconds which felt like an hour. She felt her cheeks heat and looked up from her lap to meet smoldering dark eyes, resting from Sharingan and Rinnegan for now._

 _Sakura bashfully lowered her eyes again. This felt more like a sense of duty instead of something special, something to wait for and then joyfully experience for the first time; a wife's job was to lay beside her husband in bed, so maybe that was what he saw this as instead. Duty. It made her tear up inside, and her body shook a little which he caught right away. She looked back up with surprise when he inched closer, the weight of the bed shifting._

 _"Are you really afraid as much?"_

 _She nodded. "A little."_

 _He sighed. "So am I...but do you really want to do this tonight...?"_

 _She shifted back by an inch, and he followed suit, still watching her. "No, I DO!" she said quickly. "Because it's part of tradition..." She hesitated then and there, the flush in her cheeks not making anything better. He frowned then._

 _"But?" he pressed, leaning in now, almost touching her nose with his._

 _"But...I don't know if you feel comfortable enough around me."_

 _He said nothing, but he finally broke eye contact with her. "I see," he said at last, and he was turning away from her. Apparently, he decided tonight wasn't the night for them, and suddenly, she felt hurt for doing this to him. He wasn't guilt-tripping her, but this was equally hard for her because she wasn't the hormonal little girl anymore, and he wasn't the brooding mystery he used to be._

 _Sakura tentatively reached to place a hand on her husband's strong forearm. "Sasuke, I want this."_

 _He turned halfway to look back at her, his stoned expression softening, eyes questioning. "Are you absolutely sure?" he asked. "I don't want you to go through with this for my sake."_

 _"It's not about just you at all," she insisted. "This isn't like the way I thought I felt for you as a kid. It has to be something we work for together."_

 _Now that got a smile from him, and she smiled back. Now things didn't feel so tense._

 _"Sasuke-kun..." He captured her lips with his then, and the shocks that traveled through her system enflamed with each increase of the pressure. His body covered hers now; the feel of his muscles and his burning manhood made her sear in her special place. Her bud made contact with his length, shocking her down there in every part of her lower area. She uttered a moan that was too high for her own ears, making him chuckle and give himself a little thrust against her if not entering and breaching the barrier inside._

 _Who'd ever thought that a silly girl's fantasy would become a reality - through years of trial and error, winning the heart in the most unimaginable, farfetched ways?_

 _Sasuke broke the kiss and leaned down to kiss the sensitive valley between her aching breasts. "I'm going to..." He stopped there, having not been good with words for this, and that was okay. Sakura squeezed his shoulder affectionately while her other hand went to massage his scalp, running through his hair and making him close his eyes, melting into her touch. He was the most beautiful man in existence, in and out, light and dark, perfect and flawed all in one._

~o~

"SAKURA!"

She awoke in a flash at both the shout and the hand shaking her shoulder, causing her to nearly fall off the cot. Kabuto and Karin, both pairs of large glasses, gazed at her with sheer worry in their eyes instead of their faces. She swallowed, having a terrible gut feeling...

"My husband...?"

"Sasuke hasn't come back!" Karin answered, a little alarmed. "Suigetsu searched for him with Orochimaru-sama, but nothing. We are going to find him, Sakura." The horror made her heart freeze and clutch her bulging belly beneath with both hands, as if wanting to shield the baby from learning that its father had been -

 _Sasuke has been captured._

~o~

 _Itachi..._

He was staring at the face of his dead brother.

Chained up right _beside_ his dead brother.

"Oh, gods...Itachi..." Sasuke lost his will to speak as he continued to look upon the ashen gray, cracking face of his _aniki._ What kind of sick-minded PSYCHO would do this?! Who would kidnap him, chain him right next to Itachi's corpse - and for what purpose?!

What was worse: the years-old cadaver was _nude._ And by that, _everything_ was shown. Sasuke wanted so much to close his eyes and look away, but found he couldn't. Somehow through the years, his brother had stayed his old self if turned gray as shown, cracked in places, but every defined detail from his fingers and toes, his limbs, the entire front of his body - everything was _perfect._ Even his face which was so much like Sasuke's with the exception of the diagonal lines beneath his eyes...which were now black holes, empty and devoid of all life, and he swallowed.

 _His eyes...are mine now. Taken by "Madara" because I once overused the Mangekyo._

His hair...that long, beautiful raven mane tied back as it used to be...was now dull gray as though he'd aged decades later than he was when he died. The pitiful sight...breaking the younger brother's heart...

Was this just to TORTURE him after he spent months, _years,_ moving on and cherishing Itachi's memory when everyone else would never know the truth?!

"Awake, Sasuke - I'm pleased very much."

He jerked his head forward and bared his teeth. "Whoever you are, show yourself! What vile trickery do you have on me?" he roared, pulling on his chains and wincing when he felt a pain in his muscles. He assessed that these manacles must drain chakra if he tried to break free. Snarling, he ceased struggling and settled on looking to his side. His left stump barely brushed against the forearm of the corpse laying beside him; the feeling that shot throughout his nervous system made him flinch.

There was a chuckle. The man's voice wasn't by any means a deep baritone like his brother's or Madara's, nor was it condescending like Kabuto's. "I assure you, it's not a trickery. I have been watching you all these years, and Orochimaru-sama." A sigh. "I confess I am disappointed he hasn't perfected the Edo Tensei after all this time, and even moreso that Kabuto hasn't carried on since the war. There could have been more perfect successes like myself."

 _And don't forget the Second Hokage, you bastard._ "Are you out of your mind?!" Sasuke exploded with rage. "You're not seriously going to get to them, are you? What business did you have with them anyway - and why the hell do you have me beside my brother's corpse?!" _Itachi should have been left wherever he was, not this way. How the hell did this sicko get his remains anyway, after all this time? And WHY does he want to bring him back, now that I know why I am here?_

"Tch, Sasuke, even though you are a man now, you still are hot-tempered as ever, aren't you? Well, it's not surprising that part of you hasn't diminished. But I suppose, by now, you guessed I was once in league with one of the last of the legendary Sannin. Only that was years ago, long before you yourself trained with Lord Orochimaru," the man spoke, stepping out from the shadows, on the side where Itachi's remains were. Sasuke stifled his gasp at the horrendous sight.

The left half of the man's face was heavily rolling with mounds of scarring and fat, stitched over the eye, and that part of his skull was shining and bald, for the white hair waved over the other side like a flowing curtain of snow. His single eye was a blue cold as ice. His smile matched his persona. Somehow, he reminded Sasuke of Kaguya in mortal male form. Traveling his eyes down, he noted the tunic was drawn down to reveal a nicely toned, buff body, dressed in taupe and olive green, finished with the purple _obi_ Orochimaru reserved for all his followers. _He said he was once a subordinate...and many of them died if they defected or were subjected. I deserve the story and what his ploy is here._

And while one half of the face was deformed, the rest of him was strangely ethereal even though he was repulsed to his core.

The man's smile never left his face. "My name is Ken'ichi, Sasuke Uchiha. To put the story in it shortest form, I was the only success in Orochimaru's experimentation in the early days of the Reanimation Jutsu, but unfortunately, I do not have a recollection of my former life - only that I proved my use and owed Orochimaru my life when he revived me."

Sasuke glared at him, saying nothing, then found himself looking back at the face of his deceased brother, cursing this man. Whatever his sob story was, he didn't want to care - he just wanted to know why he thought to steal and desecrate the remains and soon the soul of his beloved _aniki_ , and what he would use him and Sasuke for afterwards. Sasuke would have no part in this, only that he would break out and kill this son of a bitch as it was obvious he was a threat that needed to be dealt with.

~o~

While the men went out to look for Sasuke, she had the strength and willpower to help Karin with the children just as the day was coming to an end. She tried not to worry, but her damned hormones prevented that, which made the redheaded woman sigh and offer her a cup of tea.

"Thanks," Sakura muttered, blowing the steam.

Karin was scratching the temple of her brow out of habit. "Worrying isn't good for the baby - but you're the medic, and I'm just your helpful hand," she said with another blush. She could be so sweet and flustered, but when it came to Suigetsu - whom she was involved with now, making the pinkette laugh at the oddity of their coupling - she would lose her temper in a flash. Maybe without their arguments, things would be too boring, right?

Suddenly, Sakura winced at the tightening in her groin. This didn't feel good, either. Karin noticed and furrowed her brows. "Sakura-chan, are you -?" she started only to get cut off by the other woman's shrieks, then leaped back when the teacup was dropped, shattering glass and amber liquid on wooden planks. The tightening became erratic and indescribable, but there was no mistaking what it was.

She screamed now, jumping to her feet and clutching the underside of her belly. Sasuke wasn't here when he _should_ be.

"Oh, my God - the baby!"

 **Review, pretty please - and you may dispose of your vomit bags and grab new ones if you must. (sick green face) I feel just as queasy as you are. If this chapter was dark, the next one gets WORSE, so that's why I am saying this.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Like I said, hold onto your vomit bags. : & And if anybody wants a drink to calm the nerves after, be my guest.**

Chapter Three

"My name is Ken'ichi."

 _The only success in Orochimaru's experiments, when he was just beginning the Edo Tensei left by the Second Hokage...and he OWED the snake for reviving him even though he had no memory of his old life?!_

Sasuke supposed he could understand the reasoning, since the man had no real direction or purpose, but...his stomach twisted and snapped along with the rest of his being. "Oh, so you're back because you want to be in business again, is that it?" he sneered, laying back and giving up fighting. Whatever was going to happen to him, he was glad Sakura wasn't here to suffer; he wanted her and the baby safe from this.

However, he found himself looking at Itachi's peaceful but decayed face. Perfect and ruined at the same time. "Itachi..." he breathed out, fighting back the crack in his heart as he recalled the last words his brother spoke to him when he released himself and the other reanimated Shinobi. _Brother, why would he do this to you -?_

"Of course, why should I ask for your tragic story while I am here?" he snapped, looking back up at the ice-cold man. It was hard to believe he was a perfect result of the Reanimation Jutsu. Orochimaru had one success only to falter later, and why was that? It was never meant to be...

...but now his beloved deceased elder brother lay beside him. And it took him back to the memory of the Fourth Great Ninja War. He remembered how he never thought he'd see his brother again, desired immensely to confirm whether or not Madara and Danzo told him the truth about the massacre - and they faced Kabuto together. It reopened the old wounds...but it also brought back the love the younger brother had for his elder. The more he understood, the stronger their broken bond became as it used to.

Ken'ichi snorted, the smile faltering halfway. "Of course not. But is it personal or based on your logical decision? You're here, fastened down beside your beloved brother's remains...and you don't even wish to know my story, only why I have you here and what I intend to do with you and Itachi-kun once I revive him the way I had been. Of course, you do recall what you learned under Orochimaru, have you not?" he asked sweetly.

"It's not my concern any longer."

"No," the man agreed, "but what about _participating?_ "

Sasuke stiffened. What the hell was this man getting at? By "participating", was he implying...? "Are you going to use ME as a sacrifice for my brother?!" he demanded. _I am a Shinobi; I will accept death at any time, but like this -! And as an OFFERING FOR MY OWN BROTHER!_

Ken'ichi sniffed and chuckled in his throat. "Oh, Sasuke, a sacrifice is nothing but trouble. What Orochimaru-sama did with me as beginner's luck is enough to link me to him - to put it bluntly, he used part of himself to revive me right after using an unlucky subordinate while he was establishing this very village we stand. I have enough to not care about everything, every dirty secret he has, but I did care about the fact that I have a deep desire for anyone like me: one who was brought back as a second chance." He sighed. "But unfortunately, unlike later subjects, I have no memory of my former life, but it didn't matter as long as I had a purpose with Orochimaru. He held me on the same pedestal as Kimimaro at one time...until his attention shifted elsewhere.

"The DNA he gave me from his self was compatible for a good half of the year at most, before it started to decay. I suppose it was because I wasn't fresh enough, or the unlucky soul, but who knows on my part. But as soon as I came to be, the moment I laid my eyes on Orochimaru, I could not have felt that a _god_ had raised me," the man breathed, the ideal intake of air and worship in his gaze making Sasuke sicker than he already was.

"Orochimaru is no god and never was!" he spat. "He's just a man like me and you. You're crazier than he and Kabuto ever were!"

Ken'ichi waved his hand dismissively. "Crazy, you say? Would you call me crazy when I tell you what the Snake Sage used on me established the bond I believed was there...until it was gone when I withered away inwardly? Yet here I am now, though -" He placed a hand over his abdomen. "- the pain is ever present. I hide it as well as you, your ancestors and the Hyuugas were ever capable of shielding your emotions from the rest of the world. But enough chit-chat and return to the main point which involves you and Itachi." He looked down at the peaceful face cracking and gray, the black holes seeing nothing in particular.

"Sasuke, I will need a good dose - but nothing immense to drain your body - of your blood as well as your seed."

His world erupted chaotically.

"NO!" Sasuke thrashed against his chakra-draining bonds, in return weakening and cursing himself. No one knew he was here, but if they did notice he was missing, they might find him too late, and he knew it. Even if he DID, even if he considered agreeing to this...

 _I would give anything to see my brother one more time. For him to just be there when his niece or nephew is born, but that is all - but not like THIS! This is just...desecrating! He will not be disturbed again!_

"Your blood and seed - what more can strengthen the bond of the Uchiha brothers when Itachi returns to you? He won't be artificial, but almost perfect like you remember during the war."

"Just shut up!" This time, he spat literally at the man, but Ken'ichi wiped it off his chin like it was nothing. "I won't agree to this. Tempting as it is, and how too good it is to be true, I won't let you go through with this even if I am chained down like an animal," he snarled. "Just leave my brother in peace!"

He roared when he watched the man's next actions: a calloused hand moved towards the cadaver, gently gracing over a smooth forehead and brushing back brittle charcoal locks, then ghosting over thin, chapped lips and a bony cheekbone. "Keep your disgusting hands off of him, you bastard!" His curses were in vain as he continued to watch as Ken'ichi violated Itachi's corpse with his hand, tracing a collarbone and then the raised outlines of his pectorals, the nipples having shrunken to a size so small they would come off at the slightest contact. _A sick fetish with the dead - he has no respect, does he?! He's worse than Orochimaru, and more than Kabuto during the war!_

 _But at least, with Kabuto, I got to see and speak to him, understand him one last time._

Itachi's abdomen showed remnants of a six-pack, which gave into a hollow concave as time went on in death, and the navel had closed into a curling line. When the man dipped his hand lower, Sasuke wanted so much to close his eyes but found he could not. The vile, depraved act stirred something in him which made him feel ashamed and unclean. Strong fingers got lost within the pubic hair which had reduced to a scarce strip of gray at the base of his limp member which was much more delicate and sacred. If Ken'ichi dared to touch his _nii-san_ there -!

He broke.

"STOP! I'll go through with it. Just stop touching him at once!"

Icy blue eyes glinted with smug satisfaction.

A kunai gleamed before Sasuke's eyes, and his only remaining wrist was taken in the other's grasp, the cold and deadly tip brought to below where his major vein and artery were located. Ken'ichi didn't want him dead enough to avoid a vital spot if only to get what he wanted.

~o~

The whole of Otogakure - with the exception of the orphans under Kabuto's care - was in an uproar as the search for Sasuke began to lead nowhere within the last hour. Karin had been helping Sakura get settled; her labor would take hours before her husband was found, which the redheaded woman agreed with the mother on: _he's supposed to be here, but it wasn't his fault. If his child comes before he's brought back, he will blame himself._

Whoever took her husband, what did they want him for?

Sakura was not going to be an idiot and make speculation. Right now, she had other priorities to worry about. She had changed into a hospital gown given to her by Karin, and the men returned to report now. "Well, looks like we combed every inch we could, and man, this guy hid him pretty well," Suigetsu noted, bored. "We could use you now, Red, and you can pinpoint him with those fiery eyes of yours." He winked suggestively, making her go color in the face to match her hair and eyes, amusing the contracting Sakura.

"SUIGETSU, FISH-BOY, NO TIME FOR INNUENDOS WHEN SASUKE IS OUT THERE!" She calmed down immediately and cleared her throat. "Fine, I'll go out, but someone has to watch over Sakura until I come back."

Kabuto volunteered then and there. But as soon as Karin returned, then she would finish assisting the delivery. Karin was not a fighter, so the job was left to the men instead.

It wasn't long before the word got out to Orochimaru himself just as he was coming to "check up". His eyes narrowed when his cherished right hand told him everything - or rather, enough.

~o~

The pain in his wrist was numbed only because Ken'ichi gave him a taste of medical _ninjutsu_ he carried; the pouring blood dried on his skin, but the slash on his wrist had gone deep enough to provide the daemon enough to take into a small wooden bowl. With that done, he turned halfway away from Sasuke who was taking several shallow breaths to alleviate some of his pain. He clenched that hand into a fist, turning his wrist the other way so he would not look at his wound.

 _All of this...just for_ nii-san _..._

"It hurts, does it not?" Ken'ichi cooed above him, and he flinched when the man dared to brush his hair from his eyes. "Aw, Sasuke, don't be like that. The pain and sacrifice will be worth it...was it not when you paid your sentence losing that arm of yours and spending time in prison when you returned to Konoha? To those fools who will remain forever ignorant of the truth about your dearest brother - the true hero rather than the current Hokage, your dearest friend who did all he could for you both? And is it enough to be married to a pathetic _kunoichi_ whom you have been burdened with carrying on your back while she is with child - the first Uchiha to be born in years?"

A crooked smile returned to his loathsome doubled features.

"Would you at least feel a lot happier if your precious big brother was returned to you? The one you lived your life for from start to finish?"

Sasuke gritted his teeth and looked over his shoulder to gaze upon his brother's face once more, avoiding altogether what the bastard was doing to him - and the blood he'd "volunteered" was being used to create a rune over Itachi's forehead, then outlined his lips and giving them definite shape, before moving down the front of his body and creating more of them, but Sasuke didn't want to read them, at all. His stomach was ready to let loose his guts...but the worst was to come because he was asked of it next. _No, ordered_. "And now that is done; just one more request," Ken'ichi said sweetly as he looked over his handiwork before locking his eyes with Sasuke's.

But the Uchiha would not surrender too easily. His pride would not allow it.

"I refuse to humiliate myself if you want to do it yourself, or make me perform in front of you," he hissed. But the issue was that IT was slowly growing below his waist after the show he'd been obligated to watch and break. _Oh, gods, Itachi, how could he do this to you - to US?_

As much as he wanted his brother alive - just this once - he would not condemn his _aniki_ any more than he was. And what would happen once the process was successful? Would Itachi...rot away inside like this one was doing even though Ken'ichi hid it well, or what DID he do to alleviate his pain all these years?

Sasuke did _not_ desire that for Itachi.

Ken'ichi narrowed his eyes. "It's that, or I kill you myself and deprive that unborn brat of yours of their father - would you really wish that?" he sneered, and Sasuke knew he couldn't refuse. He bit his tongue without drawing blood.

"Fine, but leave so I can do this," he ordered, despite the fact he was in no position; thankfully, his captor complied but left him an empty glass jar between him and Itachi. Sasuke glared at it, knowing what it was for. _For my seed to be milked._

"How are you going to use it?"

"You don't need to worry about that. In fact, some things are best left to your imagination, are they not?" He scoffed in agreement.

Luckily - or not - his arm wasn't arranged so he couldn't do the deed himself; he was allowed enough room to bring his hand down to _that_ part of himself and undo the front of his trousers before dipping his fingers below the belt, brushing against the short curls above his tightening rod which made him feel ashamed, his cheeks heating up, and his heart leaped when he finally touched himself.

Bear in mind Ken'ichi turned his back now. Between them, Itachi's corpse continued to lay neglected for now, the blood on his dried, cracking flesh also becoming like paint on a wall. It was a depraved form of a deity in a painting.

Sasuke found himself leaning over his brother, grunting and stifling the sounds in as he continued to tug on himself with disgrace. He was committing a heinous sin by masturbating over his dead elder sibling - like THIS - but to look over the attraction that remained in death...the markings painted over the forehead, the lips painted like real lipstick, and more runes ending just above the groin, the gray hairs flat and crinkled like dead tree branches...and the endowment! Itachi would have been lucky to have had any woman he wanted if he'd not been trapped like a raven in a cage. As he continued to squeeze and pull his heated flesh, Sasuke recalled as a child when he once looked at his _nii-san_ and thought of him as the most beautiful man ever - well, boy with a man's wisdom, but that was all it was since his feelings were nothing disgusting.

 _Itachi...I'm so sorry..._

He felt his loins tighten along with his balls, threatening to dispel his semen. Quickly, he pulled the front of his pants down and grabbed the glass between him and Itachi, placing himself in it just as he released. He closed his eyes, refusing to look as the degradation completed itself in spilling himself for someone else's use.

If Sakura ever found out, she might go into labor because of the mental trauma.

He was so tired he almost didn't hear Ken'ichi mock him as he turned around to take the vial of the pearly white fluids. "Well, more than enough, eh? It's perfect. You and brother dearest will be back together in no time."

"...bastard," was all he could get out. Something along the lines of unconsciousness was coming to claim him, probably sparing him from what he saw beginning to transpire. Ken'ichi had placed the jar of dispelled seed between him and Itachi's corpse, which he now began to...

He "gently" parted the thighs of the cadaver, a slight _crack_ heard from the years of lifelessness and lack of bodily fluids as well as proper function. Sasuke cringed, knowing what was going to happen. The stress, trauma and humiliation was too much for him to handle that fate was pulling him into darkness until he awoke again, and his beloved brother would be over him when he opened his eyes again - but what about _after_ that?

 _He will use us both. But if we can take him together like we took Kabuto..._

"I was underground. Orochimaru was a fool; Kabuto was a perfectionist - but it's MY turn to carry on. Why should I abandon what made me as I am now?"

That was what Sasuke heard before he ultimately succumbed...but not before he heard chanting and saw the hand signs being made as well as the blood smeared over Itachi beginning to light up like flames and swirling to the call.


	4. Chapter 4

**Update (03/29/2019): Originally this story was only three chapters, but I finally chose to split chapter three into two parts simply because it was too long compared to one and two. So here you go, and please review this final chapter! :D**

Chapter Four

"What have you done now...?"

He refrained himself from saying Kabuto's name as soon as he looked to the side and saw the man standing beside him. No, it was not Kabuto - he did not recognize him, but he sensed that this man was far worse than Kabuto. _So, another master of the Reanimation Jutsu...and what does he want of me?_

 _Has he brought back others like me?_

The man was pale, half bald and the other half of his head covered with hair white as snow. The left half of his face was deformed grotesquely, but he was well-built. Yet Itachi Uchiha allowed his eyes to narrow at the sight of him - and the fact he was leaning over him. With a single powerful push, he shoved the man away from him and gracefully sat up, after popping his back muscles and his limbs. He felt little pain; he recognized it as the kind when he was alive...

He stopped himself there. Wait, what was going on? This couldn't be -

Looking down at his body, he saw that his unclothed self lay with a complete body, restored and in perfect shape. His skin wasn't cracked, and his muscles and everything beneath the surface were flowing with blood. Whoever the stranger was, he had perfected the Edo Tensei - or _did_ he?

"Itachi Uchiha," the man spoke, "the name is Ken'ichi, and I am a former subordinate and test subject of Orochimaru's." _As I suspected._ "I was one of his earliest when he was studying the Reanimation Jutsu, but after me, he failed with the technique he used. It was one he never wished Kabuto to discover for reasons I don't know myself. I have to say that I thought it was a risk worth taking when you and your brother -" He nodded towards Sasuke. "- came to mind."

Itachi found himself looking down at his _otouto_ chained down on the table, suppressing a flinch. Sasuke had changed; he looked older than he remembered last time, for his hair had flattened on either side, and he was dressed in black and as a traveler... _and I see he is missing his left arm._ The Sharingan saw it. Alarmed, Itachi wondered what had happened to his baby brother. And was the war...?

"Explain yourself then, Ken'ichi," he said through his teeth, sliding off the table, aware of his nude form. He kept his back to the other man as he listened to the tale, of the Fourth Great War at an end and Madara Uchiha defeated, the Five Great Nations as allies - and then Sasuke's journey of pain and redemption, now married to the _kunoichi_ Haruno and expecting the first born Uchiha child. And Naruto Uzumaki was the new Hokage.

If he didn't loathe the man right now, he would have smiled when he thought of the new family his brother had begun, and the man Sasuke had become.

But now: "What have you done to me that was so different from Orochimaru and Kabuto - and the original, the Second Hokage?"

"Oh, well, to keep the story short: your brother's blood and seed."

Itachi could not keep the gasp from leaving his throat. He...he had Sasuke's...he felt filthy and violated knowing this. "But look on the bright side, Itachi," the vile man cooed, and he sensed him coming up behind him. He snarled at the contact of the body against his bared back. "At least with the strongest of bonds you have as brothers, you may survive and be luckier than I was, for I am to this day rotting inside physically and emotionally when I thought Orochimaru-sama saw me special..."

 _You are nothing. Kabuto was special to the snake - but you're a failure of a creation._

A hand grasped his hip and pulled him close. He let him do it, for now. His body reacted, when that hand moved over his stomach and stopped above his special place, a finger finding a sensitive, nervous spot in his pelvis near his modest bush. The act was enough to tell him that he'd found him attractive in death and even more now; spoken words were not necessary. Itachi never allowed another to touch him there in his lifetime. This man obviously had a sick fetish for the dead, or others like him, that it made the Uchiha retaliate and gave him all the more reason to summon his willpower.

Ken'ichi's fingers finally grasped the mound of hair between Itachi's legs and breathed hotly into his ear. "How does it feel to be just like me, like you used to be when you were alive - and all thanks to your dearest brother's help which completes it?"

The way he spoke about Sasuke in that disrespectful manner pushed the last of his buttons.

He growled at the degrading touch on his naked skin and whirled around to grasp the man by the throat. This fool underestimated him as Kabuto before him. "I don't know who you are precisely, nor do I have time to try - but I know that I must subdue you as you underestimated me. You have committed a far more loathsome form of defiling involving my body and soul as well as my brother whom I sacrificed everything I had for, and for our village. Whatever plot you have, I will stop you. You were a fool to believe I would not."

He leaned up into the bastard's ear and hissed, "And no one EVER touches me the way you did." With that, he delivered a strike to Ken'ichi's face. He would place him under the Izanami if he would, or Tsukuyomi and gain the answers -

"ITACHI?!"

He looked up with his eyes briefly before returning them back to the fallen man against the wall. "Kabuto," he stated stiffly, seeing the fool restored to his former self. _So...he learned his lessons. I'm impressed I got through to him._

With him were a young man with wild red hair and another with a light blue mane as well as purple eyes, his jaw dropped to reveal shark-like teeth, telling him he must originally hail from Kirigakure. It made him remember that Kisame, his old comrade and partner, was dead. Itachi could see it in their eyes that they knew Sasuke good and well. He nodded and tilted his head backwards to his unconscious brother who was finally rousing to awareness. His eyelids fluttered and rested on him, unaware that help had arrived - and he groggily uttered, "... _aniki?_ "

Itachi walked around and helped him lay on his back. When he did, he narrowed his eyes again at the deep red gash on Sasuke's wrist. " _Otouto..._ I'm here." He brushed his hand over Sasuke's forehead then and there before calling forth Amaterasu and freeing him from the chains.

He scooped his little brother into his arms and carried him like a bride just as Kabuto and the others were taking care of Ken'ichi.

~o~

Aniki... _my brother..._

To see Itachi again, to look into his eyes when he awoke to Kabuto and the others coming to his rescue...this could not be a dream because he found himself being carried by his brother when they returned to the village. He did not care what would happen to Ken'ichi; he heard Kabuto state that Orochimaru-sama would know how to deal with him.

Right now, the man was unconscious and placed under _genjutsu_. All that mattered was that he was happy and on the verge of cracking when he looked into Itachi's eyes, seeing no trace of darkness in the oculars. Onyx irises were surrounded with living white, the Sharingan not activated, but he wasn't smiling. Sasuke knew why.

 _He was dead and wishes to remain so. He did not ask to be brought back. And it was partly my fault because I agreed to this...I was selfish._

"Itachi," he began only to be hushed.

"Save your strength."

He wanted so much to talk to him again, but not to catch up. Nothing else mattered, only that he had his brother again. "Itachi, I have a wife and child...you need to see your niece or nephew..." he pleaded, at the same time they arrived at the site of Otogakure. It was then that he noticed his brother was still nude as the day he'd been born. "Big brother, before I even think about bringing you amongst my wife and those orphans down there -"

Kabuto cleared his throat, flushed when he saw what the younger Uchiha was talking about. "Y-yes, Itachi, he's right. I recommend some clothes in order..." he said, much to the embarrassment of both Suigetsu and Juugo, who looked ahead and pretended nothing was going on.

Itachi ended up wearing Sasuke's cloak as it was the best he had at the present. Seeing him like that made him think about how he looked during his days in Akatsuki, but without the red clouds and the slashed headband of the Leaf - he looked just like the Itachi from their childhood. Sasuke could feel the old feelings return, if only for this one day; his determination to make his brother see that he was an uncle now was greater.

"Itachi," he tried again when they were walking towards the village, "you're going to be an uncle."

"I know," the elder replied simply with a small smile before it was gone. His eyes spoke it all: _he was not meant to be brought back by another's hand. He served his time and did what was needed from him._

"Yeah, speaking of which, Sasuke," Suigetsu spoke casually, "the wife went into labor while we were out hunting for you. Karin pinpointed your location and let us do the work while she took care of Sakura."

Alarm went off within Sasuke, and he took off ahead without waiting for the others. He heard his name being called, but there was no time to lose. If something happened to them both...

He halted at the shack which was the main examination room and Kabuto's office combined - and nearly ran into Karin who shrieked but pulled herself together and pushed her glasses back over her eyes. "They're both fine," she said quickly, flushed to the cheeks. A bright grin penetrated her face. "Congratulations, Daddy." She stepped aside to let him see Sakura in her white gown, cradling a bundle in creamy blankets - and a head of dark hair poked from the top. Pride swelled in him as he stalked over to stand before his wife and newborn - _our child._

Sakura's features were drawn, dark circles underneath, but her emerald irises were glowing with happiness. "Sarada, just like we talked about," she said softly. The little one was wide awake, showing broad onyx eyes blinking curiously. Sasuke's hand subconsciously reached out to gently touch the small, silken forehead. Their daughter...

 _She's beautiful._

Juugo was beside him now, glowing with happiness like he would around the small animals he befriended and communicated with. "What precious life, Sasuke," he said softly, giving the mother a bow of the head. "I have no doubt she'll be strong like her parents one day."

"Eh," Suigetsu said from behind, disinterested and making Karin explode. Sasuke rolled his eyes and turned to tell them to leave only for a familiar hissing voice to fill the air.

"The both of you, leave before you cause a ruckus for my protégé's family," Orochimaru said crossly. "Otherwise, you will face the wrath of my snake possession." The threat and malicious glint as well as the smile to match made both of them go red to the face, their eyes turning to white balls of fear, and they scampered out and away despite the fact one of them had only delivered the baby and held her first beside her mother.

Despite his irritation, Sasuke silently thanked Karin for this.

"Orochimaru, I didn't think you'd be interested," he said coolly at the appearance of his old sensei who chuckled and glided in like a phantom until he stood before mother and daughter. Sakura regarded him with a rigid expression.

"Relax, Sakura-chan, I have no intentions to harm you. I offer my congratulations." Yellow eyes shone as they locked with small, newborn dark ones as the baby grunted and reached out to him with her tiny fist. Orochimaru laughed and reached out, letting his finger be taken in by that little hand. "My, my, strong grip so soon. You must be proud, Sasuke-kun."

He snorted. _I have yet to even hold my own child -_ As soon as the thought entered his mind, he found himself looking over his shoulder when he remembered his brother, and stepped aside so both his wife and the snake saw him. Safe to say, their priceless reactions were enough.

"Itachi, you're dead!" Then Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. "Ah, Ken'ichi, I don't need to ask." His lips pulled back when he snarled. "He used the method I strictly hid away and should never have been used again..." Then his expression softened into a smile. "But it's magnificent, Itachi, to see you restored to your former self."

The elder Uchiha lowered his eyes. "I have no intentions to stay, Orochimaru. I saved the village I loved during the war, and I do not have a purpose now. I won't become like that failure called Ken'ichi. No matter how strong my bond is with my brother, the world would not welcome me back with open arms - and I would be in pain for eternity." Onyx eyes glazed with tears he would not let fall. Then he turned to look down at Sakura and smiled. She returned the smile. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Sakura."

"I-Itachi," she answered, unsure of what to say at the sight of the man who had been dead - the real hero of the Leaf Village but accepted a darker path for the sake of the village's leadership. Then she adverted her gaze to the infant in her arms. "I wish things were different for you." He shook his head and raised his hand to silence her. No one noticed Orochimaru slip away and beckon Juugo to join him, leave the family alone. Kabuto stayed behind to watch, also waiting to do a check-up on mother and child.

"What's done is done, but now I was given the opportunity to finally meet my brother's strong and capable wife -" His compliment made her flush and look down shyly. "- and I want to hold my niece."

Sasuke held his wife's hand, watching the poignant moment when Itachi took Sarada from her mother's arms. The baby gave a small, toothless smile and cooed as if she recognized her uncle already. Itachi fought not to crack as he cradled her. "Little one," he cooed, pressing a kiss to her forehead, "you're going to be a strong Shinobi one day...but my greatest regret is that I won't be there to see it happen. I traded away so much for the needs of others, but I will always watch you from the other side. I wish I could stand beside your mother and father and feed you, train you and give you all you need until you can take care of yourself - but you are another that I gave my life for. I just hope someday you can see me as your inspiration like your father once looked at me."

The baby looked at him as if sensing his unhappiness as well as that of her parents, and Kabuto who lowered his gaze to the ground, unsure of what to do. Itachi leaned forward then and kissed his niece's forehead before giving her back to her mother. Sakura did not have more time to get to know her brother-in-law, so Sasuke decided now was his chance before the day ended to spend it with his family as a whole.

Night fell when the happiness was at an end, and the brothers now stood on a hilltop several yards from the site.

"Itachi," he whispered, looking upon the face of the brother he loved so much.

" _Otouto,_ " Itachi answered, his brother's cape rippling around him that he held it close to him. "This is it. And I believed last time we met was the final."

He nodded somberly. _And now is for sure._ "My wounds have healed...but I still missed you. I wish there was a way for you to remain, to start over again outside the Leaf Village - if Orochimaru can somehow save you internally." The man had done so many new experiments lately that it could be possible...

But Itachi shook his head. "No, brother. As I told you, my time is over. I love you, Sasuke, never forget that. I'm proud of the man you have become, and from the other side, I will always watch over you through thick and thin. I have no doubt Sarada will grow and outshine you. I believe in her, Sasuke - as I believed in you." He leaned forward then...and placed a kiss on the younger's forehead. A wave of love, simple as that, coursed through his veins like fresh water, purifying him and clearing the dirt in its path. He closed his eyes.

"I love you, too, _aniki._ "

The rustle of clothing made him open them again, seeing Itachi in his glory, handing him the cape because it was his. He was going to Orochimaru, or he would find means to end it on his own, and Sasuke would not stop him. Itachi's gaze settled on his left arm, at the stump where he'd lost to Naruto, his mouth in a grim, knowing line. But he said nothing. He only smiled like he did when he returned to the afterlife to join their family.

But he did say this: "Tell Sarada about me one day."

Itachi had his time, and he had no more regrets, like he told his younger brother before the released jutsu took his spirit back. A continued life was a greater torture than anything.

Sasuke watched him go with a tear down each cheek, a heavy heart that would soon heal again, and a smile as well as his final words carried towards the fleeing silhouette: "I will, brother."

 **Am I the only one in tears? (sniffles and grabs a tissue)**

 **If anyone is wondering if Itachi went to Orochimaru to end his life again, or if he did it himself, the answer is who knows. Sometimes it's best left unknown, because there's been enough hurt around here.**

 **So, there you have the ending. I never planned to make this a BIG story, but I did intend to make it as complex as possible. For those of you expecting Itachi to live, I'm sorry you were disappointed, but it was necessary. As it says, Itachi served his purpose and owes no more, so a prolonged existence in a world he no longer belongs in would be torture not only for himself but for Sasuke who had gotten over his death. And since it's best no one knows the truth about the Uchiha massacre, Itachi does not deserve to live on the run again.**


End file.
